Are you ready for some football?! Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is now available on Apple’s game subscription service, bringing EA Sports’ blockbuster football franchise to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro without ads or in-app purchases.
It’s the first time the Madden series has been offered through Apple Arcade, giving subscribers a premium version of one of gaming’s most popular sports franchises.
“Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is a chance to bring the most authentic NFL experience to a new audience of football fans, letting them play and compete as the league’s most elite players, or take control as GM and shape a franchise,” said Evan Dexter, EA’s vice president of Franchise Strategy and Marketing.
Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition scores big on Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade has quietly built an impressive lineup of premium sports games in recent years. Most notably, subscribers already can play NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition and PGA Tour Pro Golf. And now the arrival of Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition gives the service another major console-quality franchise, further strengthening Apple Arcade’s appeal for sports fans.
The game features authentic 11-on-11 NFL gameplay, updated team rosters and streamlined controls optimized for Apple devices. Players can jump into quick games or take control of a franchise, managing trades, free-agent signings and other front-office decisions throughout multiple seasons.
Full controller support is available for those who prefer a console-style experience.
“Apple Arcade is the perfect home for Madden as a premium platform that matches the complete, no-compromise experience we’ve built,” said EA’s Dexter. “Whether you’re playing on your iPhone on the go or on Apple TV with friends and family, the future of football is now in your hands.”
Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is now on the App Store.
Screenshot: EA Games
Much more football action on Apple Arcade
While Madden headlines Apple’s August lineup for the gaming service, it isn’t arriving alone. Apple also just added NFL Retro Bowl ’27 and Retro Bowl College+.
These expand an already strong lineup of football games that includes Football Manager 26 Touch, Mini Football Legends, NFL Retro Bowl ’26, and more. Apple said the additions give sports fans its broadest collection of football games yet.
Apple Arcade offers these and hundreds of more games that are playable across Apple’s platforms, all without ads or in-app purchases. The service costs $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year in the United States. The subscription can be shared with up to six family members through Family Sharing, and new iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV buyers receive three months free. Apple Arcade is also included with all Apple One subscription plans.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
